Subject: FAQ, ALL: Reminder - 14 June 1995 - EVERYONE, PLEASE READ!
Writers now lives at mitvma.mit.edu.
Check out the fireplace, the snug chairs, and...
other classical wonders revived daily for your delight and perusal.
(oh, and if you have the time, be sure to peruse the wonderful
exchange of literary letters now wafting a touch of mannered comedy
through the days and nights of our lives, all about a garden,
a cup of tea, and the ache for conversation...delightful!)
tink
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Please read this if you want to know how to:
1. Introduce yourself to the list
2. Get off the list, take a vacation, or even cut down daily mail
3. To check your mail settings
4. Select postings by TOPICS
5. Get a membership list
6. Get a copy of a recent Frequently Asked Questions posting
7. Get a discussion of touchy points to avoid
8. Get guidelines for sub'ing and crit'ing
9. Put something in the archives
10. Get something from the archives
11. Get a copy of our very own newspaper!
12. Poke around with the web...
13. Commercial or Information?
1. Introducing yourself to the list
Most people start with a little bio or other hint about just who they
are. You can include BIO or INTRO in the subject line. It also can
be useful to include your email address (mail systems sometimes modify
it, and including it there will help people who want to write directly
to you). Also, if you don't mind, please list your town/city, state,
(and/or country). That helps if someone is "in the neighborhood" or
when we get into discussions of regional quirks.
Mostly, though, step right up and introduce yourself. We like to meet
new folks (I'm not going to mention new blood in front of the critical
vampires...:-) and appreciate anyone taking that first step.
"Hi, I'm tink. I'm a writer..."
To do 2 to 5 of these, send email to LISTSERV@MITVMA.BITNET or
listserv@mitvma.mit.edu (NOT WRITERS!) with the following messages:
2. To get off the list, take a vacation, or even cut down daily mail
SIGNOFF WRITERS
No one on the list can remove you, you must do it yourself.
[NOTE: listserv sometimes is comparitively SLOW! also, the internet
often runs two hours to two DAYS behind in delivery of mail.
so--especially when signing off, which is known to take time, be
patient. I recommend setting yourself NOMAIL, then SIGNOFF. okay?]
for temporary vacations:
SET WRITERS NOMAIL
then to get your mail again:
SET WRITERS MAIL
To have all messages collected and mailed to you in one message each
day:
SET WRITERS DIGEST
To quit digest,
SET WRITERS MAIL
3. To check your mail settings
QUERY WRITERS
if LISTSERV says you aren't a member, please feel free to subscribe again
SUBSCRIBE WRITERS yourfirstname yourlastname
if it sends you settings that don't match what you like, change them.
[NOTE: this is also a good way to check if email is getting through
without filling the list with test messages. if you get a response,
email is working. if not, well...]
4. Select postings by TOPICS
normally, readers get all the postings here on writers. For those who
need to limit their mail, the TOPICS system provides a way to cut down.
when people post using these TOPIC tags
SUBMISSION, CRITIQUE, TECHNIQUE, EXERCISE, WOW, FILLER
you can choose to receive any combination of these specific areas.
Send listserv@mitvma.mit.edu a message with the following
SET WRITERS TOPICS: SUB CRIT TECH
or whatever selection of topics you want to try.
You can also add or subtract topics with messages like
SET WRITERS TOPICS: +EXER
SET WRITERS TOPICS: -WOW
To return to getting ALL, send the message
SET WRITERS TOPICS: ALL
5. To get a list of all the members alphabetized by name:
REVIEW WRITERS BY NAME
6. To receive a copy of a FAQ:
Send a message to WFILES-SEARCH-REQUEST@mitvma.mit.edu with the
message
16
The FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) provides a quick introduction to
services of the list and additional resources you may want to investigate.
7. To help avoid stepping on toes, I also recommend:
Send a message to WFILES-SEARCH-REQUEST@mitvma.mit.edu with this
number as the only message
3776
Listserv will send you a copy of a FAQ that discusses some topics which
have caused problems in the past. The title is:
FAQ: A Preliminary List of Sparks and Irritants - some upsetting topics
8. FAQS for sub'ing and crit'ing
You can also send a message to WFILES-SEARCH-REQUEST@mitvma.mit.edu
with these numbers as the text
3777
3778
these will get these FAQs
003777 FAQ: SUB guidelines (DRAFT!)
003778 FAQ: CRIT guidelines (DRAFT!)
9. Submissions
To send something to the list, send a message to WRITERS@mitvma.mit.edu
or WRITERS@mitvma.bitnet. Everyone will get a copy.
To file things in the archives, send a copy to the address
WFILES@mitvma.mit.edu. It will be filed.
You may want to also post it, or simply send notification to the list
that it is available.
10. To get information from the archives, first send a message to LISTSERV
similar to the one between the dashes
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
// JOB Echo=No,Reply-To=None
Database Search DD=Rules Echo=Yes
//Rules DD *
search * in wfiles from 1 jan 1995 to 1 feb 1995
index
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
you may also want to use search lines such as:
search * in wfiles where sender contains ( barker )
search exercise in wfiles since 1 jan 1995
LISTSERV will send you a list of available postings matching your search.
second, send WFILES-SEARCH-REQUEST@mitvma.mit.edu with the number(s)
of pieces you want to get a copy (change the number to what you want).
it's that simple.
11. To get a copy of our very own newspaper, send a message to
WFILES-SEARCH-REQUEST@mitvma.mit.edu with this number as the only
text:
115
you will get your very own copy of the PM&I, suitable for lining
birdcages or other festivities...
12. Poke around with the web...
try these URLs
our very own home page
http://www.acci.com/acci/writers.html
Others worth looking at...
http://bronze.ucs.indiana.edu/~dlodge/writing.html
http://www.missouri.edu/~wleric/writery.html
http://web.mit.edu/afs/athena.mit.edu/user/m/b/mbarker/www/writers.html
general interest
http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/hypertext/faq/usenet/FAQ-List.html
13. Commercial or Information?
"Here's my rule of thumb on the subject: Why am I supposed to be
interested? Because I'm a writer, or because I'm a WRITER? If
neither of these two, then it's advertising. If Jane Hamilton were to
announce that _The Guardian_ was going into another printing in
September, I think that the members of the list would have a
legitimate interest in knowing where and how they can order it if they
choose... If Joe Blow @ Idaho.com has a book out called _Jumper
Cables: Ten Ways to Restart Your Writing,_ I think it's legitimate to
call it a pointer to a resource rather than advertising. But when the
information has no particular interest for us that it wouldn't have
for any other mailing list, I think that's taking advantage of our
group." (quote from feldspar@netcom.com)
Welcome! We look forward to your contributions.
tink
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Herewith, Nothing
If you're not making mistakes, you're not doing anything.